Carrie Moore

Miss Tittell BruneThe photographic studio of Talma & co. was established in 1892 by Andrew Barrie and his business partner, Henry Weedon. Located in Swanston Street Melbourne, Talma was a leading portrait studio attracting clientele from ‘high society’, celebrities and visiting and local theatrical performers, especially women. As an astute businessman, Barrie saw a market beyond individual photographic portraits—establishing a product sideline of creating and selling black and white postcards of his famous female clients. For their part, actresses were keen to be involved in this new enterprise as it provided excellent exposure and the cards were also a way to attract new clients; for emerging young actresses to be seen on a Talma postcard was a boost to their careers. (see ‘Andrew Barrie and the Talma Studio’, Elisabeth Kumm, Theatre Heritage Australia, 7 December 2019—theatreheritage.org.au)

Not content with black and white images only, Barrie soon expanded his line to include colour cards; cards with portraits in decorative framing; and cards stylised with adornments and glitter. These latter elements, such as ‘gold’ hair clips and pins, jewellery and other decorative accessories along with embossed gowns were innovative and attractive—and can be seen on his postcards.

In the early 1900s the Melbourne-based manufacturing tobacconists Sniders and Abrahams accessed these images from Barrie to produce a set of cigarette cards—‘Actresses (Talma)’.

Cigarette Cards and Sniders and Abrahams

From their original point of sale, cigarettes were sold in flimsy paper packaging which provided little protection to the actual cigarette. In order to protect the cigarettes from damage, a stiff piece of cardboard was inserted into the packet to provide it with some structure. Soon after, cigarette companies saw this piece of cardboard as a useful advertising vehicle and over time more and more images of general interest—such as sporting figures, wartime heroes, and building and places of significance were added to ‘the cigarette cards’ to encourage (the mostly male) consumers to buy a particular cigarette brand.

Sniders and Abrahams was one prominent company who from around 1905 actively used ‘cigarette cards’ as an important marketing platform, and cards were issued with their ‘Standard’, ‘Peter Pan’ and ‘Milo’ cigarette brands. Over its history, Sniders and Abrahams issued thirty-three card series—all of which are now highly collectable. One series was ‘Actresses (Talma)’ and on today’s values it is not unusual to pay up to $20 for a card in mint condition.

The company was established by partnership between Gershon Sniders and Lewis Abrahams and was originally located at 23 Lonsdale Street east, then 270 Lonsdale Street and with continued growth was later re-located to 7 Drewery Lane around 1910. In January 1885 the partnership was dissolved, however Abrahams continued the business and retained the name ‘Sniders and Abrahams’. Around 1889, Louis, son of Lewis, joined and managed the firm until his death in 1903.

Actresses (Talma)

‘Actresses (Talma)’ is generally agreed to be one of the finest cigarette card series issued by Sniders and Abrahams and as the title indicates, the cards are reproductions of Talma postcards and in some cases, Talma photographs which were never reproduced as postcards.

The ‘Actresses (Talma)’ cigarette cards were issued in two unnumbered series—one of 30 cards with a gold background (‘the 30 Card Set’) and one of 14 cards with a white border (‘the 14 Card Set’). On the front of each card the name of the actress is printed below the portrait at the base of the card. Interestingly, on some of the cards the names are incorrectly spelt, however for the purposes of this article they have been spelt correctly. 

The cards were included in the ‘Milo’ cigarette brand and were printed by the Melbourne firm, Osboldstone and Atkins (see back showing O&A) which would date the issue prior to 1908 (we know this date, as after 1908 Atkins was no longer involved and the firm became Osboldstone & Co). The cards measure 6.7 cm x 4.0 cm (compared to postcards 13.8 cm x 8.8 cm).

Miss Pressy Preston in summer dress and gold background

Miss Pressy Preston with white border

Of the 30 Card Set, four actresses appear twice—Miss Tittell Brune (with and without her dog), Miss Nellie Butler (head and shoulders and full length), Miss Pansy Montague (as a hussar and in evening gown) and Miss Pressy Preston (in fur coat and in summer dress). All of the 14 Card Set repeat an image from the 30 Card Set [including Brune (with dog), Butler (head and shoulders) and Preston (in summer dress)]—however the set includes a picture of the pianist Renee Lees which is not included in the 30 Card Set (for reasons unknown).

As cigarette card collectors would be aware, the ‘Actresses (Talma)’ series are an uncharacteristic issue for Sniders and Abrahams as their cards generally portrayed masculine imagery to appeal to their male based clientele; sporting and military cards were particularly favoured. By the early 1900s however, smoking by women was becoming more fashionable and less frowned upon in society and as such Sniders may have been responding to these changing social norms by producing a set which would also appeal to female smokers. Certainly, the mass production of theatrical postcards—mainly of actresses—in the early 1900s by Talma capitalised on the boom in postcard collecting as a hobby, particularly amongst women.  As such, the Sniders issue coincided with the postcard collecting craze - which was fortuitous. It is quite possible, however that the cards of ‘stage beauties’ were issued to appeal to the male ‘viewer’.

Of the many hundreds of actresses who appear on Talma postcards, what was so special about those who featured in the Sniders and Abrahams cigarette card sets? And, who made the selection? Was it Louis Abrahams, his wife Golda or his brother, Lawrence, all patrons of the arts and avid theatre goers or was the selection made by the photographer Barrie? And what were the commercial arrangement between Sniders and Abrahams and Barrie’s photographic studio? 

The Sniders sets feature both Australian and overseas performers and include the well-known English actress Ada Reeve who frequently performed in Australia; Maesmore Morris who was a much photographed beauty; the popular American Tittell Brune; Grace Palotta a regular visitor to Australia, together with the favourite local artists like the ageless Nellie Stewart, the audience favourite Florence Young, Pressy Preston and Pansy Montague to a handful of rising stars such as Carrie Moore and Daisy Holly.

It is interesting to suppose that while most of the subjects of the Cigarette Cards were included for their theatrical talent alone, it could be argued that some actresses were included for their ‘looks’ given the many contemporary media references to their ‘beauty’. Such subjects could include the likes of Eloise (Elise) Cook, Daisy Holly, Norah (Nora) Kerin, Renee Lees, Lillah McCarthy and Cerita.

The majority of the cards show head and shoulder portraits of the actresses, other than Pansy Montague, Billie Barlow, Elaine Ravensberg and one card of Nellie Butler who are shown in full length poses and in character costume. What also makes these four cards unique is that unlike the rest of the cards, there is no Talma Melbourne & Sydney logo in the bottom left or right-hand corner nor copyright on the opposite side. This is possibly because these four cards were either publicity photographs for a show or photographs for the press, and were not reproduced as postcards. Another oddity is the card of Miss Florence Young which is tagged ‘Talma Melbourne only’—as the Talma Studio in Sydney did not open until March 1899, Young’s portrait photograph would have been taken prior to this date.

A Brief Biographical Note on Selected Cards

One of the truly great overseas actresses included in the set is Ada Reeve, a British pantomime and vaudeville performer, and a star of numerous musical comedies and plays. Barrie would have taken the theatrical portrait of Reeve in costume in 1897 when Reeve appeared as Suzette in the Australian production of the French Maid at the Melbourne, Princess Theatre (Punch, 9 December 1897, p.10).

Miss Ada Reeve

Mrs Maesmore Morris

Another English actress is Mrs Maesmore Morris. She performed in Australia in numerous productions between 1897-1899, returned to the English stage until 1904, and back to Australia the same year. The card image was taken in late 1904 from her performance as George Anne Bellamy in Pretty Peggy, produced by Nellie Stewart’s comic opera company.

A youthful Australian actress is Carrie Moore who was Reeve’s understudy for Suzette. Later, Moore had the leading role in San Toy which opened at Her Majesty’s Theatre Melbourne on 21 December 1901. The card image is of Moore as San Toy. After four years with the Royal Comic Opera Co., Moore travelled to London in 1903 where she soon became a favourite, with successful roles in San Toy (this time playing Dudley, the maid), The Blue Moon, Dairy Maids and Tom Jones. She also appeared in several pantomimes and was voted the most popular ‘principal boy’ in 1904. After an absence of five years she returned to Australia in 1908 for the lead role in The Merry Widow.

Another Australian to feature is Daisy Holly, a talented dancer. She was a member of Williamson’s Juvenile Comic Opera Co. and in 1891 appeared in the opera La Mascotte as Frascello.  She was much in demand as a dancer and was the ‘premiere danseuse’ of the Macmahon Pantomime Company before travelling overseas. She received accolades as one of the Debutantes in the Orchid at the London Gaiety Theatre in 1903. The photograph of Holly which appears on the Sniders card was most likely taken in the late 1890s as it appears as a study piece in ‘Studies by Talma & Co.’, Melbourne and Sydney, published by Atlas Press, Melbourne in 1900.  Frequently described in the media as one of the ‘prettiest women’ on the Australian stage and the ‘little ballet beauty’.

Miss Carrie Moore

Miss Daisy Holly

May Beatty was the principal star with the George Stephenson’s Musical Comedy Co. The card image is of her as Rose of the Riviera in the production of the same name.  Performances were held at several venues, including Melbourne’s Princess Theatre in July 1904.

Norah (also known as Nora) Kerin made her name as a Shakespearean actress and toured Australia in 1903/04 as a member of George Musgrove’s English Shakespearean Company with leading roles in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, As You Like It and Twelfth Night. She returned to England in early 1904 so her portrait photo, not in costume, most likely dates from 1903. Her inclusion in the Sniders set is odd, given her limited exposure to Australian audiences—but perhaps (as noted earlier) it was due to her beauty with Kerin described as ‘the youngest and most beautiful Shakespearean actress on stage’.

Miss May Beatty

Miss Eloise Cook

Miss Norah Kerin

Another stage ‘beauty’ was Eloise (also known as Elise) Cook, a young English soprano on stage in Australia in 1900/01 under engagement to George Musgrove to play the principal girl role in the Cinderella pantomime at Melbourne’s Princess Theatre and the Theatre Royal in Sydney. The cigarette card image is Cook as Cinderella in her Fair Scene dress. She was variously described in press reviews as a ‘charming young actress’, ‘as pretty as a picture to look at…’, a winsome, pretty little lady’ and ‘of course there is always pretty little Cinderella herself; she is a very nice little girl’.

Delia Mason was a British musical comedy actress and vocalist who toured Australia in 1904 with the New London Gaiety Company and performed in Three Little Maids, Kitty Grey and The Girl from Kay’s. The card image shows her as Edna in The Three Little Maids.

Miss Delia Mason

Miss Renee Lees

A lesser known performer who appeared only in the 14 Card Set is Renee Lees, a gifted young Australian pianist. Lees performed at the Opera House in Wellington, New Zealand before she left Australia for Europe in late 1899 to continue her musical studies and while still a teenager made a successful London debut in May, 1900. After a short stint as a dancer with the John F. Sheridan’s musical comedy company, Lees returned to perform as a pianist and organist around mid-1903—at which time her Talma portrait may have been taken.

One the actresses in a full-length pose is Billie Barlow, a popular burlesque artiste, shown on the card as the Prince—the principal boy—in Rickard’s production of the pantomime Puss in Boots held at the Sydney Tivoli Theatre (see Punch, 27 December 1900, p.25). Her costume shown on the card was the subject of a famous theatrical libel action in April 1901, when Barlow sued the Bulletin for £5000 for alleged libel contained in a review of her appearance which suggested that she was ‘wandering about … clothed in her naked soul’, the insinuation being that she appeared in a costume that was indecent. The defence offered no evidence to refute this and after an hour’s deliberation the Jury found for the Bulletin.

Nellie Butler is also shown in a full-length pose. Butler was an American actress who performed in the Royal Comic Opera Co. production of A White Milk Flag at the Melbourne Princess Theatre in October 1896 where she played the role of the Captain (of the Corps). The Talma photo of Butler in costume for this role was published in the Melbourne Punch (15 October 1896, p.3), which is the image that appears on the cigarette card. Also, in a full-length pose is Elaine Ravensberg who arrived from England in December 1904 under engagement to William Anderson to play the principal boy, Sinbad in the pantomime Sinbad the Sailor and her card shows her in costume for this role (see Talma photo of same image in the Sunday Times (Sydney), 26 February 1905, p.3). Ravensberg had previously played the principal boy in several British pantomimes.

Miss Billie Barlow

Miss Nellie Butler

Miss Elaine Ravensberg

Less biographical success was met in sourcing the two cards of Pansy Montague—with no reference found for the image of her in an evening gown or for the card of her dressed as a Hungarian soldier (although there is a photo of her in the same costume in Table Talk of 13 August 1903, where the caption refers to the Princess Theatre but not the play or the role she played). In an earlier Table Talk (9 July 1903) there is a photo of Madame Slapoffski, dressed as a hussar in a like fashion for her leading role in The Fortune Teller. The article does mention that Montague appeared in this production as a servant to the Lord Mayor, but there is no explanation as to why she was dressed as a black hussar in the August edition photograph—perhaps she was the understudy to the lead role?

Miss Pansy Montague dressed as a hussar

Miss Pansy Montague in evening dress

Lastly, described in the media as ‘the most beautiful woman on the English stage’, Lillah McCarthy visited Australia in 1901 as the leading lady of Wilson’s Barrett’s London Company. During the season she appeared in Man and His Makers, The Sign of the Cross, Virginius and The Manxman.  The card shows her as Kate Cregreen in The Manxman performed at Her Majesty’s Theatre, Melbourne in August 1901.

In researching this article, every attempt was made to match the card image to a particular theatrical performance and role played by the actress, or with a photograph taken by the Talma studio. This also allowed for a more precise issue date for the Sniders cigarette cards, rather than the 1904-08 range of years quoted in various references. The one card which appears to assist in clarifying the issue date is that of Cerita (Ada Cerito) a lesser known English actress who arrived in Australia in late 1905 and first appeared at Rickard’s Opera House in mid-December as a comedian, serio comique and character actress. It is unlikely that her portrait was taken at this time (see the Herald, advertisement, 19 December 1905, p.2) due to her hectic schedule. Her photograph by Talma, which became the postcard and cigarette card image, appeared in the Gadfly, 14 February 1906, p.10, which would date the Sniders issue at 1906 at the earliest.

Miss Lillah McCarthy

Cerita

The actresses shown on the Sniders and Abrahams cigarette cards were outstanding theatrical entertainers, performing at a time when live theatre was at the height of its popularity. A handful of the actresses have been singled out for comment, but they and the others in the set deserve much more than the few lines given to them in this article.

My thanks to Elisabeth Kumm, Theatre Heritage Australia for information on many of the actresses and for making time available for several conversations.

All cards are from the author's collection with the exception of Carrie Moore and Elaine Ravensberg.

Montage by Judy Leech. Image on front page: Oscar Asche in Kismetby Alick P.F. Ritchie. National Library of Australia, Canberra.

By the beginningof the twentieth century live theatre in Australia was at the height of its popularity and attendances at both ‘cultured’ and ‘popular’ theatre continued to expand. Both Sydney and Melbourne boasted several central city theatres as well as numerous vaudeville and variety halls. International theatre companies regularly performed in Australia and their principal stars added to the popularity of the productions.

World War I had an initial impact on theatre attendance, but numbers soon returned, perhaps as a distraction from the European conflict, and Australian audiences continued to enjoy a wide range of entertainment. More than 350 different plays were staged in Melbourne alone during the war years.¹

Newspapers, leading magazines and journals responded to their readers’ passion for the theatre and gave it considerable coverage with reviews and commentary and most had dedicated ‘theatre critics’ on the payroll. Increasingly, and of present interest, this theatre copy was punctuated with illustrations by a raft of ‘black and white’ artists who plied their craft to portray theatrical personnel, often in unflattering, humorous caricatures and cartoons.

While a few of the artists had more or less regular arrangements with the press, for most their input to the theatrical theme was intermittent and only one aspect of their freelance work in a highly competitive profession. Without question, these artists were fortunate to be working in a time when cartooning and caricatures came of age and their output was prolific.

No newspaper or magazine in Australia in the early 1900s did more to encourage black and white artists than the Bulletin. It employed some of the finest artists of the time, including Will Dyson, Harry Julius, Hal Gye, Jim Bancks, D.H. Souter, Tom Glover and Mervyn Skipper. The Bulletin was where many cartoonists made their start. However, the Bulletin was not alone in nurturing the growing number of freelance black and white artists; Smith’s Weekly, Lone Hand, Sydney Sportsman, Bookfellow, Gadfly, Clarion, and Critic were some of the publications that regularly printed cartoons and caricatures.

Unlike other sections of a newspaper or magazine where illustrations were usually editorially driven, it is probably fair to say that as these artists were adding pictorial comment to written theatrical reviews—usually an actor or a scene—many of these theatrical caricatures and cartoons were included without editorial direction; the ‘black and whiters’ enjoyed a large degree of artistic independence.

There are too many artists in the black and white school of cartoonists and caricaturists to do them all justice, as such the following represent this writer’s personal favourites.

Many would agree that Australia’s greatest caricaturist was the exceptionally gifted Will Dyson (1880–1938). Arguable, some of Dyson’s best work were the numerous theatrical caricatures he drew for the Bulletin around 1904–10 as the magazine’s theatre cartoonist.

Dyson was acclaimed for the penetrating force of his cartoons and caricatures and saw the pretentious theatre personnel as a target for his acerbic penmanship; although it was once said that while he did not often attack the ladies with his pointed crow quill, he did the ‘wicked deed’ now and again.²

A ‘wicked deed’ perhaps, was Dyson’s 1908 sketch of Lady Dunscombe (Nellie Mortyne) in Jim the Penmanat the Theatre Royal Melbourne, where the lady, a decorative titled visitor of some importance, is portrayed with a rather unflattering figure. More sensitive was Dyson’s portrayal of Arthur Greenaway as the hunched and doddery King Louis XI in the musical The Vagabond King, which was produced by J.C. Williamson Ltd. in spectacular style during 1928–1929.

Will Dyson: A rather unflattering portrait of Nellie Mortyne as Lady Dunscombe in Jim the Penman at the Theatre Royal, Melbourne

Bulletin (Sydney), 17 December 1908, p.9

Will Dyson: Arthur Greenaway as Louis XI in the musical The Vagabond King, 1928

National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne

Other Dyson works include that of actor Julius Knight playing Sir Percy Blakeney in The Scarlet Pimpernel, performed at Her Majesty’s Theatre, Melbourne—‘a hero whose tigerish nonchalance gives him the aspects of a drugged prig …’—a description which is perfectly captured by Dyson’s caricature.

Another notable caricature shows ‘Norman: The bold bad man of the Bland Holt Co.’ Albert Norman was a leading actor with the Bland Holt Co. for many years and was well known for playing sinister characters. In fact, one review described him thus: Norman ‘is such a villain as he has been many times before, and the sardonic smile of sin on his countenance is the same old smile’.³ Again, a description well captured by Dyson.

A rare survivor, the original artwork for Leave It to Jane, published in Table Talk, demonstrates the use of sepia wash to achieve the tonal contrasts in the published cartoon, and the application of white touch-up to conceal changes.

Will Dyson: ‘Julius Knight in The Scarlet Pimpernel’

Bulletin (Sydney), 5 November 1908, p.9

Will Dyson: ‘Norman: The bold bad man of the Bland Holt Co.’

Bulletin (Sydney), 19 December 1907, p.8

Will Dyson: Original artwork for Leave It to Jane which was published in Table Talk (Melbourne),
17 June 1926, p.27

National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne

Harry Julius(1885–1938) was another fine caricaturist of the period as well as a most versatile artist—among many pursuits, he was a newspaper cartoonist, writer and illustrator, advertising executive and film animator. But it is his theatrical caricatures for which he is best known—stageland appealed to him as a splendid site for the caricaturist. Julius once remarked that for years he’d had opera glasses on actors with evil intent and it was melodrama and tragic grand opera, not placid modern plays, which moved him as a pictorial satirist.⁴

From around 1907, Julius consistently provided magazines, particularly the Bulletin, with humorous caricatures of performers from across the whole spectrum of the theatre from grand opera to vaudeville and pantomime; his output was prodigious. Julius had the skill of getting fine caricatures in a few lines with unmistakeable portraiture.⁵

There is a wonderful record of some 250 of Julius’ early theatrical caricatures (many of which had appeared in the Bulletin) of most of the prominent stars of the period presented in Theatrical Caricatures, published by the NSW Bookstall Co. in 1912. The book also includes stories on the theatre celebrities by Claude McKay. To view these pen and ink sketches in one collection gives an appreciation of how they would have ‘coloured’ the reviews of current and coming shows which the Bulletin ran in its ‘Sundry Shows’ pages.

One example of Julius’ caricatures includes Annette Kellerman in the glass tank from the Annette Kellerman Show at the Sydney Tivoli. Kellerman was an Australian long-distance swimmer, aquatic and vaudeville performer. Of her Tivoli show it was said: ‘the versatile mermaid has added submarine evolutions, toe dancing and wire walking to an endearing personality, and between them have captured the multitude.’⁶

Another cartoon that appears in the Bulletin illustrates a scene from the light musical comedy High Jinks, produced by J.C. Williamson at Her Majesty's in Sydney in 1915. The Bulletin review, on the same page as the cartoon, noted ‘the fair and willowy Gertrude Glyn as usual looms up in one or two gowns which stun the stalls... C.H. Workman one of the comedians puts up a good plainclothes performance’.

Harry Julius: ‘Annette Kellerman in the glass tank’

Bulletin (Sydney), 16 June 1921, p.42

Harry Julius: ‘High Jinks: Dance Chi-Chi (Gertrude Glyn) and the discoverer of the “High Jinks” perfume (C.H. Workman)’

Bulletin (Sydney), 11 February 1915, p.8

In another, John Coates the English tenor appears as Radames in Aida which played at Her Majesty’s, Sydney. In this caricature, Julius shows ‘John Coates going nobly to his doom, escorted by four stalwart Egyptians. Amneris (Edna Thornton) is grief-stricken’. Of Coates’ performance, the review said, it shows ‘what the portly Yorkshireman can do—when he chooses to exert himself’.⁷

Another cartoon shows a scene from Hamlet at the Sydney Criterion, where Hamlet (Walter Bentley) asks Horatio (W.S. Titheradge) and an inoffensive solder to swear an oath. According to the accompanying review, ‘Walter Bentley has a way of “beefing out” his lines on occasion that compels enthusiasm regardless of the exact meaning of the phrases beefed’.

Harry Julius: ‘Hamlet at the Sydney Cri: Hamlet (Walter Bentley) asks Horatio (W.S. Titheradge) and an inoffensive soldier to swear’

Bulletin (Sydney), 22 July 1909, p.8

Harry Julius: ‘Aida at Her Majesty’s, Sydney: John Coates going nobly to his doom, escorted by four stalwart Egyptians. Amneris (Edna Thornton) grief-stricken’

Bulletin (Sydney), 8 August 1912, p.10

Another prominent black and white artist whose caricatures regularly appeared in the Bulletin during this period was Jim Bancks(1889–1952). His work also featured in Melbourne Punch, Sydney Sun and Sunday Sun. Bancks fame was ensured in particular, with his comic ‘Us Fellows’ which evolved into Ginger Meggs.

Bancks works include Mr Pim Passes By at Sydney Criterion: Ashton Jarry as Mr Pim, ‘only just a passer-by’. Ashton Jarry first came to Australia in 1917 with Ada Reeve and since then performed in several Australian productions. One of his notable performances was as Mr Pim. Jarry also played Count Dracula in J.C. Williamson’s production of Dracula performed at the Sydney Theatre in June 1929.

Jim Bancks: ‘Mr Pim Passes By at Sydney Criterion: Ashton Jarry as Mr Pim, “only just a passer-by” ’

Bulletin (Sydney), 18 August 1921, p. 34

Jim Bancks: ‘Pianist Mischa Levitzki’

Bulletin (Sydney), 9 June 1921, p.14

Other notable caricatures include Mischa Levitzki, the Russian born American based concert pianist who at the Sydney Town Hall was described as ‘the young man with the strong forearms and rubber fingers’ (Bulletin, 9 June 1921), and Scandal at the Sydney Criterion (Bulletin, 26 May 1921) with Kenneth Brampton as Malcolm Fraser, the rejected lover and Maude Hannaford as the heroine, Beatrix Vanderdyke. Hannaford, described as a possessor of good looks, young and ambitious, had quickly become a star of the American stage with successful roles in Redemption and as the leading lady in The Jest.

Oh, Lady, Lady! was one of a number of sensational J. C. Williamson’s musical comedies of the 1920s. The leading lady, Dorothy Brunton was a hit as ‘Faintin’ Fanny a Peel-street pick-pocket; one review said, ‘The New Dot is as impish as the old one was coy and curly’. Her performance is complimented by an outstanding cast, including William Green as Hale Underwood, a man about town.

Jim Bancks: Two characters from the musical Oh, Lady, Lady! at the Theatre Royal, Sydney: William Green as Hale Underwood and Arthur Denton as the detective Cyril Townsley

Bulletin (Sydney), 8 September 1921, p.34 & 15 September 1921, p.36

Continuing with his depiction of stage actors, his 1921 portrait of George Gee in The Lilac Domino perfectly captures the gait of the rubber-legged dancer and comedian.

Of current ‘historical’ significance is Bancks’ cartoon ‘WHEN AT LAST SYDNEY THEATRE RESTRICTIONS ARE LIFTED: Montague Loveslush and his leading lady, Lulu De Vere, the stage’s smartest dressers, present themselves for re-employment’ (Bulletin, 15 May 1919).

This is Bancks’ take on the news on 15 May 1919 that Sydneysiders could go to the theatre again, with their masks off, after months of anti-influenza restrictions.

Jim Bancks: ‘The Lilac Domino at the Sydney Criterion: A goldfish movement by dancer George Gee’

Bulletin (Sydney), 7 April 1921, p.34

Jim Bancks: ‘WHEN AT LAST SYDNEY THEATRE RESTRICTIONS ARE LIFTED: Montague Loveslush and his leading lady, Lulu De Vere, the stage’s smartest dressers, present themselves for re-employment’

Bulletin (Sydney), 15 May 1919, p.36

Hal Gye (1888–1967) was another brilliant black and white artist, principally working in the Bulletin stable, who provided the magazine with theatrical and sporting caricatures and in 1910 replaced Will Dyson as the Bulletin’s theatre cartoonist. Gye drew for numerous other papers and magazines; caricatures of politicians for Melbourne Punch and sporting identities for the Judge, cartoons for the Australian Worker, Vanguard, Referee, Smith’s Weekly, Table Talk and the Sydney Arrow.

Examples of Gye’s Bulletin caricatures include Oscar Asche and Caleb Porter in Count Hannibal at the Melbourne Royal in 1910; the popular Scottish singer and entertainer Harry Lauder on the occasion of his first Australia tour; J.P. O’Neill in the melodrama No Mother to Guide Her at the Princess, 1913; and comedian W.S. Percy as the gaoler in Nightbirds, an adaptation of Die Fledermaus that played at Her Majesty’s in Melbourne during 1912.

Hal Gye: ‘Count Hannibal at Melbourne Royal: Caleb Porter as Father Pezelay [and] Oscar Asche as the Count’

Bulletin (Sydney), 27 January 1910, p.9

Hal Gye: ‘Harry Lauder, at Melbourne Princess’s’

Bulletin (Sydney), 7 May 1914, p.8

Hal Gye: ‘No Mother to Guide Her at Melbourne Princess’s: J.P. O’Neill as Bill Bunce, the bad’un (with a few of his hobbies)’

Bulletin (Sydney), 6 February 1913, p.11

Hal Gye: ‘Nightbirds at Her Majesty’s, Melbourne: W.S. Percy as the Black-Eyed Warder’

Bulletin (Sydney), 28 November 1912, p.10

Mervyn Skipper(1886–1958) became more prominent in the mid to late 1920s with his work often printed in the Bulletin and at one time he was the Melbourne cartoon correspondent for the magazine. Skipper left the Bulletin in 1933 to start his own magazine, the Pandemonium, which ran for 12 issues. Skipper later returned to the Bulletin as the art and drama critic and wrote extensively for Australian magazines including Lone Hand.

Some of his works include The Masquerader at Sydney Royal and The Truth About Blayds, a comedy by A.A. Milne at the Criterion.

Mervyn Skipper: ‘The Masquerader at Sydney Royal: Winnington Barnes as the faithful Brock, and Oliver Bainbridge as Bobby Blessington, a social hack’

Bulletin (Sydney), 10 September 1925, p.35

Mervyn Skipper: ‘The Truth About Blayds at the Sydney Criterion: Irene Vanbrugh and Janet Eccles return from burying a poet’

Bulletin (Sydney), 26 March 1925, p.35

D.H. Souter(1862–1935) had a 40-year association with the Bulletin, with his first cartoon appearing on 23 February 1895. His cartoons were fanciful and loosely described as ‘art nouveau’. Two examples from the Lone Hand magazine are shown below—‘Contralto Dramatique’ and ‘Prima Donna Assoluta.

D.H. Souter: ‘Contralto Dramatique’

Lone Hand (Sydney), 1 July 1907, p.257

D.H. Souter: ‘Prima Donna Assoluta’

Lone Hand (Sydney), 1 August 1907, p.412

Somewhat different in style was Souter’s cartoon announcing the musical comedy, Betty. The musical was produced by J.C. Williamson Ltd. and opened at Her Majesty’s Theatre in Sydney on 22 November 1924. Souter’s sketch shows Edith Drayson (Betty), Field Fisher (Duke of Crowborough), Alfred Frith (Lord Playne), Harold Pearce (Earl of Beverley), Reita Nugent (David Playne) and Harry Wotton (Hillier).

His skill as a black and white artist is also demonstrated by his portrait of Elsie Prince in her role of Judy in the Gershwin musical Lady Be Good, which opened at the St. James Theatre in Sydney on 30 July 1927. The original artwork is in the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra.

D.H. Souter: ‘Elsie Prince as Judy in Lady Be Good’, 1927

National Gallery of Australia, Canberra

D.H. Souter: ‘First Night Impressions (by DHS)’ of Bettyat Her Majesty’s Theatre, Sydney

Country Life Stock and Station Journal (Sydney), 28 November 1924, p.10

Souter, himself, was involved in the theatre and his operetta, The Grey Kimona was staged in Adelaide in 1907. He was also involved with Alfred Hill’s Sydney Repertory Theatre Society.

Tom Glover (1891–1938) was a New Zealand cartoonist who came to Australia in the 1920s and joined the Bulletin in 1922 where his cartoons and caricatures of personalities stamped him as a talented black and white artist.⁸ Prior to this he was cartoonist for the New Zealand Truth and also drew for the Free Lance under the name ‘Tom Ellis’. In around 1925, Glover joined the staff of the Associated Newspapers Ltd. and remained there until his sudden death in 1938.

A good example of his work is his portrait of the theatrical producer George A. Highland, drawn in 1925. Highland came to Australia in 1917 and worked with J.C. Williamson Ltd. He produced Maid of the Mountains in 1921 and many other productions.

Another portrait by Glover was of Tom Clare, the British music hall singer and pianist best known for singing humorous songs. Clare performed in a vaudeville show at the Melbourne Tivoli where it was said he ‘was better when he was less grandfatherly’.⁹

Tom Glover: Theatrical producer George A. Highland, 1925

National Portrait Gallery, Canberra

Tom Glover: ‘Tom Clare, who purveys songs from the piano’

Bulletin (Sydney), 26 March 1925, p.35

In 1925 he captured a good likeness of Allan Wilkie as Malvolio in Twelfth Night. Wilkie and his wife, Frediswyde Hunter-Watts, arrived in Australia in 1914 and worked with Nellie Stewart’s and J.C. Williamson’s touring companies. In 1920, Wilkie established the Wilkie Shakespearean Company, which debuted at Melbourne’s Princess Theatre in September 1920 with Macbeth. The previous year, Glover captured a fine image of showman and cartoonist Bert Levy.

Tom Glover: ‘Twelfth Night at Melbourne Palace: Allan Malvolio Wilkie’

Bulletin (Sydney), 2 April 1925, p.35

Tom Glover: ‘Melbourne Tivoli: Bert Levy, artist, author, journalist, international vaudeville star and good Australian’

Bulletin (Sydney), 18 September 1924, p.35

Ambrose Dyson(1876–1913), another of the artistically talented Dyson family, was essentially a political cartoonist, but occasionally dabbled in theatrical cartoons.

In his cartoon ‘The Tempter’, Dyson combined political and theatrical commentary with a pointed reference on Ada Ward, a former actress who had returned to Australia after ‘finding God’. Ada Ward first performed in Melbourne in 1877 with some success, but after many years performing in London she sensationally left the stage in 1897 to train as a preacher. Ward returned to Australia in 1907 as an evangelist and addressed an audience at the Melbourne Wesley Church on ‘Can an Actress be a Christian’, where she denounced the immorality of the theatre and its ruination of young women.

True to the theatrical theme, another of Dyson’s cartoon was a New Year’s card for 1905 to his theatrical friend the actor manager Bland Holt.

Ambrose Dyson: ‘THE TEMPTER. Miss Ada Ward claims that the actress cannot be a Christian because of the terrible temptations that constantly assail her—AGE.
Dyson’s retort: True, every man in the world will admit that the pretty actress has to encounter fascinations and allurements of which her humdrum stay-at-home sisters can know nothing.’

Bulletin (Sydney), 9 May 1907, p.18.

Ambrose Dyson: New Year’s card to actor-manager Bland Holt, who is depicted tickling the ‘grim old world’ with his cane. Dated 1905.

State Library of Victoria, Melbourne

One of the lesser known Australian black and white cartoonists of the early 1900s is George Dunstan (1876–1946) who drew under the pen name ‘Zif’. Besides the general run of publications, Zif also contributed cartoons to the Sydney Sportsman and the Australian Worker and was chief cartoonist for the International Socialist Magazine. As one of his many attributes, Zif also took to the stage, regularly performing across Australia as a lightning sketch artist, often billed as ‘Chats in Charcoal’.

Illustrative of his style, Zif created a series of cartoons on ‘Suburban Drama’ for the Bulletin in September 1909. One was captioned, ‘East Lynne in the Suburbs’.

George Dunstan (Zif): ‘East Lynne in the Suburbs: Barbara Hare: “Alas! Alas! Why did he pass me over for a baby-faced chit like that?”.’

Bulletin (Sydney), 9 September 1909, p.10

Harry Julius: ‘Zif: The well-known cartoonist, now appearing at the Melrose Theatre. He is the greatest “drawing” card in Australia’

Truth (Perth), 22 March 1913, p.11

Around 1910, Zif produced a series of coloured postcards for the New South Wales Bookstall Co., in their ‘Art Series’. One set of six cards, ‘Theatrical Travesties’ embodied caricatures of ‘theatre types’, a style which typified his work.

George Dunstan (Zif): ‘Theatrical Travesties: The Scalem Dramatic Coy.
LANDLORD: “I want your board money in advance.”
MANAGER: Have you no heart for these poor orphans?”
LANDLORD: Yes, I have a heart, but it takes cash in advance to touch it.”’

Courtesy of Gary Davies

George Dunstan (Zif): ‘Theatrical Travesties: Scene from East Lynne. Owing to circumstances the parts of “Little Willie” and “Francis Levison” had to be doubled.
LITTLE WILLIE: “Why do you cry Madame Vine. I’m not your Little Willie!”’

Courtesy of Gary Davies

Mick Paul(1888–1945), a Sydney cartoonist of the early twentieth century, contributed to the Bulletin, Lone Hand, Comic Australia, Lilley’s Magazine (cover designs) and the Australian Worker. Paul was well-known for his bohemian lifestyle, his socialist views and anti-conscription cartoons and was a foundation member of the Society of Australian Black and White Artists.

Paul’s cartoon, ‘TOO HOT’, offered a social comment on the influenza which devastated Australia around 1919, while ‘NATURALLY’ presents a feminist view on the prevailing gender imbalance in theatre life.

Mick Paul: TOO HOT—The Manager: “This influenza scare doesn’t seem to have made much difference to us—house full every night.” The Star: “No influenza germ could come within a mile of this show – they hate warmth.”

Bulletin (Sydney), 19 December 1918, p.30

Mick Paul: NATURALLY—Flo: “That beast of a stage manager has complained again about us talking on the stage. He wouldn’t do that if we were men.”

Bulletin (Sydney), 7 November 1918, p.30

Bert Levy(1871–1934) described as a clever black and white artist and showman, began his working life as an apprentice scenic artist at the Theatre Royal, Melbourne. A prolific creator, Levy was published in Melbourne Punch, the Mirror, Table Talk, drew cartoons and theatrical caricatures for the Bulletin, was the dramatic critic for the Bendigo Adventurer and cartoonist for the Age, Leader magazine. Levy travelled to America in the early 1900s where he worked for Weber and Fields Music Hall, then the Morning Telegraph while running vaudeville shows in New York.¹⁰

Examples of his work include ‘In a Vaudeville Green Room’, a cartoon which shows several performers waiting in a dedicated space—‘the green room’ before going on stage. Another is of Hugh Ward in The Emerald Isle. Ward was a major figure in Australian theatre as an actor and entrepreneur. He was one time managing director of J.C. Williamson Ltd. and after resigning from that position, formed Hugh J. Ward Theatres Ltd. in partnership with the Fuller brothers.

Bert Levy: ‘In a Vaudeville Green Room’

Lone Hand (Sydney), 1 February 1912, p.299

Bert Levy: ‘Hugh Ward in The Emerald Isle’

Bulletin (Sydney), 28 March 1903 p. 10

Bert Levy: Self-portrait, 1906: ‘As Bert Levy sees himself from the New York Morning Telegraph’

J. Willis Sayre Photograph Collection, University of Washington Libraries, Seattle, USA

By the 1920s, Smith’s Weekly had become the premiere source of cartoons in Australia and unlike other publications their cartoonists were on the pay role, not freelancers. To emphasise this and introduce their staff to the public, the magazine often presented cartoons as composite drawings where all artists contributed; the cartoonists and their characters appeared side by side.¹¹

A variation of the composite cartoon can be seen in the work of, Syd Miller(1901–1983), who joined Smith’s Weekly in 1919 and worked there for some 22 years as a cartoonist and film and stage reviewer.

Miller’s illustrations of ‘Sally in Our Majesty’s’ and ‘Six People Who Make The Flaw’ are examples of his style.

Syd Miller: ‘Sally in Our Majesty’s’, with (from left to right) Hugh Steyne, Gracie Laver, George Gee, Josie Melville (out of and in the kitchen), George Baker, George Lane

Smith’s Weekly (Sydney), 27 January 1923, p.12

Syd Miller: ‘Six People Who Make The Flaw—Mayne Lynton, Frank Harvey, Sheila Helpman, Emelie Pollini, Raymond Lawrence, Nancye Stewart’

Smith’s Weekly (Sydney), 10 February 1923, p. 12

Lance Driffield(1898–1943) was a newspaper and magazine cartoonist and illustrator during the 1920s and 30s, drawing under the pen name ‘Driff’. Driffield started his career as a process engraver and went on to work for the Sunday Times, Truth and Smith’s Weekly.

Typical of his work is the cartoon of Mother Goose which stared Roy Rene and Nat Phillips (‘Stiffy and Mo’), two of the most significant comedians of the period.

Lance Driffield: ‘Mother Goose at the Sydney Hippodrome: Stiffy and Mo try to discover what the Dame would like for supper’

Smith’s Weekly (Sydney), 13 January 1923, p.12

Ray Whiting: ‘Windsor, Edgar and Kellaway, three bright Musical Fellows at the Tivoli Circuit’

Smith’s Weekly (Sydney), 5 April 1924, p.12

Ray Whiting (1898–1975) contributed cartoons to Smith’s Weekly, Table Talk and the Bulletin in the 1920s and 30s and later sketched for the AIF ‘News’ when serving with the 9th Division Camouflage Training Unit in the Middle East during WW2. Arthur Streeton once said his cartoons display a fine decorative sense, good drawing and imagination. ‘Some of the works are weirdly grotesque, and yet they are wickedly like the objects caricatured.’¹²

These qualities are evident in his portrayal of Windsor, Edgar and Kellaway, a brilliant musical trio from the London Hippodrome, and Joe Brennan, Charles Heslop and particularly Oliver Peacock from Mother Goose. Peacock is an interesting figure. He had a long association with the Australian musical stage, playing support roles to Florence Young, Carrie Moore and Dorothy Brunton. Notably, in 1922, he was understudy to Oscar Asche when Asche took Cairo and Chu Chin Chow to New Zealand.

Ray Whiting: ‘Joe Brennan (Mother Goose) and Charles Heslop (Fitzrabbit) in Hugh Ward’s panto, Melbourne Palace’

Smith’s Weekly, 26 January 1924, p.12

Ray Whiting: ‘Mother Goose’s offsider at the Melbourne Palace—Oliver Peacock as Squire Hardflint’

Smith’s Weekly, 26 January 1924, p.12

Alec Sass (Sass) (c.1870–1922) drew for Melbourne Punch and its humorous page between 1896-1912, where he introduced the Sass girl, Sass policeman and Sass johnnie. After working at the New York Journal, Sass joined Smith’s Weekly in around 1921 as an artist and art editor. As art editor he was responsible for teaching staff artists to draw for reproduction on newsprint. Like other Smith’s artists, Sass also drew composite cartoons, a style which is well-illustrated in his cartoon ‘Fooling Around at Fuller’s Panto on a Hot Night’. Another portrait shows an exceedingly stout Oscar Asche in Cairo, which was playing at Her Majesty’s Theatre in Sydney.

Alec Sass: ‘Fooling Around at Fuller’s Panto on a Hot Night’

Smith’s Weekly (Sydney), 7 January 1922, p.10

Alec Sass: ‘Cairo: If Oscar gets any stouter we hope he gets transparent’

Smith’s Weekly (Sydney), 23 September 1922, p.12

Will Donald(1883–1959) was a pioneering cartoonist of the period who contributed to mainstream and socialist newspapers and magazines, including the Bulletin, Quit, Gadfly and the Critic. Donald was one of Australia’s early comic artists.

Examples of his work include a caricature of the Late F.H. Pollock, Lessee Theatre Royal Adelaide. Pollock was an actor and theatre entrepreneur. He acquired the lease of the Royal in 1900 from Wybert Reeve (English actor and impresario) but, following illness, Pollock appointed a manager in his stead. Pollock died in 1908. Interestingly, George Coppin was the first lessee of the theatre.

Another of Donald’s caricatures, published in the Sydney Sun during 1910, depicts Julius Knight and Reynolds Denniston in the romantic drama Henry of Navarre, set in seventeenth century Europe.

His signature profile style is also evident in his caricatures of Victor Loydall and Rupert Darrell in the pantomime Jack and Jill from the Sydney Sun; while his portraits of Oscar Asche and Lily Brayton in The Taming of the Shrew are rare pieces of original artwork.

Will Donald: A caricature of ‘The Late F.H. Pollock, Lessee Theatre Royal Adelaide’

Bulletin (Sydney), 19 November 1908, p.18

Will Donald: ‘Julius Knight as Henry of Navarre and Reynolds Denniston as his faithful watch dog’

Star(Sydney), 13 June 1910, p.7

Will Donald: ‘Victor Loydall as Perks’ and ‘Rupert Darrell as Baron Bounce’ in the pantomime Jack and Jillat the Theatre Royal in Sydney

Star (Sydney), 27 September 1909, p.2

Will Donald: ‘Oscar Asche as Petruchio’ and ‘Lily Brayton “Tamed”’ Drawn during Oscar Asche’s 1909 Sydney Shakespeare season at the Criterion.

National Library of Australia, Canberra

Tasmanian-born Alf Vincent(1874–1915) joined Melbourne Punch in 1895 and a year later he succeeded Tom Carrington as feature artist for the magazine. Vincent joined the Bulletin in 1898 and drew for the magazine until his death in 1915. His style of work was similar to that of Phil May (his mentor) for which he was often criticised by his contemporaries.

Outside the usual run of newspaper and magazine caricatures, Vincent did a fine piece of work in a theatrical souvenir, a pamphlet consisting of twelve sketches (some in colour) of performers in J.C. Williamson’s Comic Opera Co. production of San Toy which premiered on 21 December 1901 at Her Majesty’s Theatre, Melbourne. On the occasion of the fiftieth performance of the show on 8 February 1902, a portfolio of sketches was handed out to every lady visitor.

Alf Vincent: Carrie Moore in the title role of San Toy—“I’m not a littee Boy—I’m a Littee Girl.’ From San Toy: Sketches by Alf Vincent.

State Library of Victoria, Melbourne.

Alf Vincent: Grace Palotta as ‘Dudley’. From San Toy: Sketches by Alf Vincent.

State Library of Victoria, Melbourne

Alf Vincent: ‘Poppy gives Fo Hop a piece of her mind.’ From San Toy: Sketches by Alf Vincent.

State Library of Victoria, Melbourne

Donald MacDonald (Pas)(1862–1945) was one of the finest caricaturists of the early 20th century to freelance his work to several magazines and newspapers in Australia and New Zealand. The scope of his work was not restricted to a particular theme, but he was particularly noted for his caricatures of theatre personnel.

For Sydney Sportsman he contributed studies of well-known theatrical personalities Bland Holt and Julius Grant. Actor-manager Bland Holt, nicknamed the ‘King of Melodrama’, was known for his elaborate stagings of Drury Lane melodramas which he produced at the Lyceum Theatre in Sydney and Theatre Royal in Melbourne. Julius Grant established theatrical enterprises with Bert Bailey and was lessee of King’s Theatre for 15 years. He produced several shows including the record breaking On Our Selection. He also introduced Melbourne audiences to stars such as Oscar Asche and Lily Brayton.

In response to the composer and music teacher Signor Roberto Hazon receiving an address and testimonial from His Excellency the Governor on the occasion of his farewell performance in Sydney, Pas provided a likeness for Sydney Sportsman.

During the 1920s, for Everyone’s, he contributed a sketch of Miss Aylet, ‘Australia’s only trap drummer’ who was performing at Sydney’s Crystal Palace.

Donald MacDonald (Pas): Signor Hazon on the occasion of his farewell to Sydney

Sydney Sportsman, 25 September 1907, p.2

Donald MacDonald (Pas): ‘Julius Grant (Business Manager, Criterion Theatre)’

Sydney Sportsman, 4 December 1907, p.2

Donald MacDonald (Pas): ‘Bland Holt etcetera’, drawn while Holt was performing in the melodrama Women and Wine at the Theatre Royal

Sydney Sportsman,15 March 1905, p.2

Donald MacDonald (Pas): ‘Miss Aylet, Australia’s only trap drummer at the Crystal Palace, Sydney’

Everyone’s (Sydney), 16 July 1924, p.18

Tom Ferry (1891–1954) started his working life as an apprentice with John Sands Ltd. doing lithographic work and before qualifying, he was seconded to work for the Sun newspaper for two years, eventually joining Union Theatres Ltd., drawing and designing posters, advertisements and lobby cards. In the early 1920s Ferry had a casual arrangement with the Sydney Sunday Times to provide weekly cartoons and by 1925 he was the official artist to Fox Films in Sydney.¹³

Examples of his work that appeared in the Sunday Times includes the actors Cyril Gardiner, Frederick Lloyd, Frank Hatherley and Claude Dampier. A drawing he did of visiting English actor Seymour Hicks as Mr William Busby (Old Bill) in the play Old Bill, MP, was published on the programme cover.

Tom Ferry: Frederick Lloyd as Alf in The Man in Dress Clothesat the Sydney Opera House

Sunday Times(Sydney), 29 June 1924, p.24

Tom Ferry: Claude Dampier. who was appearing in revue at Fullers’ Theatre in Sydney

Sunday Times(Sydney), 13 July 1924, p.20

Tom Ferry: Cyril Gardiner in Old Bill, MP

Sunday Times(Sydney), 6 July 1924, p.22

Tom Ferry: Cover of the programme for Old Bill, MP at the Palace Theatre, Melbourne, 20 September 1924, with Seymour Hicks as the title character

Elisabeth Kumm collection

Brodie Mack (1897–1965) combined his cartooning skills with his role as a theatrical business manager. A New Zealander, he initially worked for the Wellington Freelance as a cartoonist before becoming a theatre executive with positions as House Manager for Fullers at His Majesty’s Theatre in Wellington and then with Fullers Opera House in Auckland. Mack later moved to Sydney as Booking Manager for Fullers Vaudeville and Theatre Ltd. He was a founding member of the Society of Australian Black and White Artists in 1924 and did cartoons for Everyone’s, Fuller News, the Bulletin, Aussie, Smith’s Weekly and others.

Examples of his work from Everyone’s included Lee White, ‘the cheerful star of The Girl for the Boy’ at the Sydney Tivoli; and ‘Carter the Great’ (stage name of the American illusionist Charles Carter), who thrilled audiences with his disappearing lion act.

During 1924/24 Mack drew a series of 16 caricatures for Everyone’s titled ‘If Managers Were Artists’. Number 5 in the series depicts JCW theatre manager Tom Holt.

Brodie Mack: Lee White, the cheerful star of The Girl for the Boy, Tivoli Theatre, Sydney

Everyone’s (Sydney), 8 December 1920, p. 10

Brodie Mack: ‘CARTER (not forgetting his lion): The Magic Man at the Sydney Royal’

Everyone’s (Sydney), 16 June 1920, p.11

Brodie Mack: ‘If Managers Were Artists. No.5.’: Tommy Holt, Manager of the Theatre Royal, Melbourne (J.C. Williamson Vaudeville), ‘one of the Leaders of the Tait Navee’

Everyone’s (Sydney), 3 September 1924, p.5

From the early 1900s to the late 1920s the profession of black and white artists was predominantly a male profession, and few women artists were actively involved. There were, however, a number of fine women artists well recognised for their black and white cartoons and caricatures, including Mahdi McCrae, Esther and Betty Paterson, Grace Burns and Ruby Lindsay who were regular but casual contributors to various publications. Later, Joan Morrison and Mollie Horseman were the first women to be employed on the pay roll of Smith’s Weekly.

Typically, the work of these artists, while stylish and amusing, was placed away from the theatrical section of the magazines and appeared randomly throughout, usually as page filler ‘gag’ cartoons or to illustrate ‘women’ stories.

An exception to how the cartoons of women were typically treated was the work of Esther Paterson(1892–1971) who was a student at the National Gallery of Victoria from 1907–1912. A talented artist of street scenes and landscapes, Paterson later applied her skill to commercial art, book illustrating and caricatures/cartoons. Her theatrical caricatures were regularly featured in the Melbourne Punch pre first World War and were prominently featured on the ‘Playgoer’ pages. Her caricatures often featured female performers and her artistic style of her caricatures is markedly different to that of her male contemporaries—her women are more feminine and sensual.

Esther Paterson: Miss Zola Terrill and Ada Reeve

Punch (Melbourne), 7 February 1918, p.37 & 31 January 1918, p.195

Esther Paterson: Maude Fane and Miss Frediswyde Hunter-Watts

Punch (Melbourne), 6 September 1917, p.595 & 12 April 1917, p.595

To be concluded in the next issue.

Endnotes

1. See Elisabeth Kumm, ‘Theatre in Melbourne 1914-18: the best, the brightest and the latest’, La Trobe Journal, No. 97, March 2016

2. Punch (Melbourne), 27 May 1909, p.730.

3. ‘A Life’s Romance’, Bulletin (Sydney), 25 August 1904, p.10.

4. See The Bookfellow (Sydney), 1 July 1913, p.xvii.

5. Lone Hand (Sydney), 1 August 1912, p. 352.

6. Bulletin (Sydney), 16 June 1921, p.42.

7. Bulletin, 1 August 1912, p.10.

8. Argus (Melbourne), 8 September 1938, p.9.

9. Bulletin (Sydney), 26 March 1925, p. 35.

10. See Bert Levy, ‘Bert Levy (by Himself)’, Lone Hand (Sydney), 1 February 1912.

11. Joan Kerr, Artists and Cartoonist in Black and White: The most public art.

12. Argus (Melbourne), 7 August 1934, p.5.

13. See ‘Knights of the Pencil and Brush, No. 3: Tom Ferry’, Everyone’s, 29 April 1925, p.30.

References

‘Black and Whiters IV: Alfred Vincent’, The Bookfellow (Sydney), 1 January 1913, pp. 20–21.

‘Black and Whiters VII: Harry Julius’, The Bookfellow (Sydney), 1 July 1913, p. xvii-xix.

David M. Dow, Melbourne Savages: A history of the first fifty years of the Melbourne Savage Club, Melbourne Savage Club, Melbourne, 1947.

W.E. Fitz Henry, ‘Stories of “Bulletin” Artists’, Bulletin (Sydney), 14 December 1955, pp. 26–28, 32.

Harry Julius, Theatrical Caricatures, with Marginal Anecdotes by Claude McKay, NSW Bookstall Co. Ltd., 1912.

Joan Kerr, Artists and Cartoonist in Black and White: The most public art, National Trust of Australia, Sydney, c.1999.

‘Knights of the Pencil and Brush, No. 3: Tom Ferry’, Everyone’s, 29 April 1925, p.30.

Elisabeth Kumm, ‘Theatre in Melbourne 1914–18: the best, the brightest and the latest’, La Trobe Journal, No. 97, March 2016, pp.6–23, www.slv.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/La-Trobe-Journal-97-Elisabeth-Kumm.pdf

Bert Levy, ‘Bert Levy (by Himself)’, Lone Hand (Sydney), Vol. 10, No. 58, 1 February 1912, pp. 293–300.

Ross McMullin, Will Dyson: Australia’s radical genius, Scribe, North Carlton, Vic, 2006.

Carol Mills, ‘In Black and White: The little-known Lindsay: Ruby Lindsay’, This Australia, Winter 1984, pp.80-85, available from Women’s Museum of Australia, wmoa.com.au/uploads/the-little-known-Lindsay.pdf

Les Tanner, ‘The Black and White Maestros’, Bulletin (Sydney), 29 January 1980, pp.134–142.

M.G. Skipper, ‘The Art of the Bulletin’, Bulletin (Sydney), 29 January 1930, pp.40–42.

Acknowledgements

Special thanks to Elisabeth Kumm for her advice and comments.

Welcome to the wonderful, exciting, exotic and dazzling world of Djin-Djin! The stage presentation was a massive success in the latter part of the nineteenth century and early twentieth century, throughout Australia and New Zealand and even on tour in South Africa in 1903. The world of Princes, Princesses, the evil Bogie-man, Dames and Damsels and everything in between. Never heard of the show? Fear not, you are not alone. The show that saved J.C. Williamson's from bankruptcy; that was so incredibly successful that every performance had the "HOUSE FULL" sign out the front of the theatre in which it was playing, and as a result turned people away in droves at every performance, is now largely forgotten. Opening in 1895, it seems there were popular revivals of the show for around ten years before it disappeared completely. This was quite possibly largely due to the fire in the Theatre Royal, Durban on 20 October 1903, where it was playing during the South African tour, which took with it all of the costumes and properties. Nothing exists today except the script, an incomplete musical score, some original scenery and costume designs and a few programmes. Gone and forgotten. Until now!

Great success from adversity is certainly a tried and true subject. And that is true of the 1895 production at The Princess' Theatre on Spring Street in Melbourne, Djin-Djin, or to give the show its full title, Djin-Djin, The Japanese Bogie-Man or The Great Shogun Who Lost His Son & The Little Princess Who Found Him.  They didn't do things by halves back then, which included the title for the pantomimes which were presented. The story behind the production of Djin-Djin is almost as incredible as the storyline of the show itself. Welcome to Djin-Djin and the incredible story of its birth, success, disappearance and now its new life, with our exhibition of twenty-four original costume designs by Will R. Barnes along with specially made recreations of three of the costumes just for this exhibition. 

We are indebted to Isla Baring, daughter of JCW Managing Director, Sir Frank Tait and Lady Viola Tait, for her very generous donation of twenty-four original hand-painted watercolour costume designs by Will R. Barnes to Beleura which are the inspiration of our exhibition. 

Depression!

The 1890s brought with it a great depression.  Not only the depression but also a severe drought. Businesses closed, banks closed and with the hard times, theatre house numbers slumped. J. C. Williamson and George Musgrove, the co-directors of the largest theatrical organisation in the world at that time, were in trouble. Big trouble. They needed a show that would bring audiences back into their theatres across Australia and New Zealand. At the time, they were presenting revivals of Gilbert and Sullivan comic operas and other favourites rather than spend money on new productions, but these had all been seen before and people weren't willing to part with their money for yet another revival. 

J. C. Williamson

George Musgrove

Williamson sent his business partner, George Musgrove to London to see if there was something new that would entice audiences back into their theatres, but there was nothing. Nothing new or exciting. The only solution was to create their own unique, all-Australian production. 

And so, with the assistance of one of his managers, Bert Royle, who had already proved himself as a writer of reputation, the men set to work on a new pantomime. But not just another pantomime which would be the same formula as those which had played before, this would be an all-Australian pantomime and one which was aimed at a mature, adult audience. It was a total break away from the nursery rhyme storylines such as Mother Goose or Dick Whittington normally presented in the pantomime format. Williamson also decided to cash in on the massive success of The Mikado and the craze for all things Japanese which was sweeping the world by storm. An Australian story with strong Japanese additions.

It was to be the most expensive and lavish production mounted in Australia at the time but with the country in the middle of a depression and disastrous drought, no bank would loan the money to cover the initial costs. 

It was after an evening performance of the comic opera season which was playing at The Princess' Theatre, which had opened just nine years earlier, when James Cassius Williamson called everyone connected with the show onto the stage. Cast, orchestra members, scenic painters and stagehands, wardrobe dressers and Front of House staff were all assembled on the stage. Williamson stood on a chair in front of everyone and told them, with a tremble in his voice, that they were in desperate trouble; that a new show was in the pipeline which they hoped would bring their audiences back and put the company in the black and save them from bankruptcy. With tears in his eyes and a wavering voice, he asked his loyal staff if they would be willing  to work for six days with five days' pay in order to keep the theatre running, and everyone in full employment, so the rest could be put into this new production. "Three cheers for the Guv'nor", came a cry from a cast member and the company agreed unanimously to the request. It was full steam ahead with preparations for Djin-Djin, The Japanese Bogie-Man. 

Pictorial Souvenir

The Firm's resident stage director 'Johnny' Wallace

A lavish production indeed it was. Williamson put his trusted A-team to work on the show straight away. The cast consisted of approximately two hundred people.  There were forty principal roles, over sixty ballet dancers, twice as many as normal to cope with the lightning quick costume changes; chorus ladies and gentlemen, a children's chorus, acrobats and jugglers, extra ladies and gentlemen as well as a host of supernumeraries.

Behind the scenes was a large orchestra, an army of costume makers, scenery builders and painters, property men, gasmen and electricians and limelight men, scene shifters, flymen, all of whom numbered over one hundred. 

Added to this were the JCW finest creative powers. Leon Caron was the show's composer and Musical Director with George F. Pack writing additional music. The scenic designers were the best. George Gordon, who had also designed the lavish interiors at The Princess' Theatre nine years earlier, Phil Goatcher, who was one of the highest paid designers in the world, and Walter Spong. The lavish costumes were designed by Will R. Barnes, with the exception of The Golden Ballet finale which was designed and constructed by London based designers Monsieur and Madame Alias and then shipped to Australia. The Dance Arranger was Madame Rosalie Philipinni and the Wardrobe Mistress was Emily Nathan. All the best in the business. John Wallace not only directed the show but also arranged the Marches.

Scenic design for the Fan Ballet - Australian Performing Arts Collection, Arts Centre Melbourne

Williamson had the latest theatrical machinery sent over from London for the spectacular effects of an on-stage earthquake, and a flying machine. William Hassan devised machinery which made bare cherry blossom trees in the Winter scenes burst into flower before the audience's eyes for the arrival of Spring as well as lava flowing from the erupting Mount Fuji during the show's climax. 

Djin-Djin had an incredible ten full transformation scenes in it. On 27 December 1895, the day after its opening performance on Boxing Day of that year, The Argus declared:

It is an orgy of splendor from beginning to end: a surfeit of rich colour, of architectural and landscape scenery which has all the charm of novelty and freshness, of sumptuous costumes, gorgeous processions, Oriental pageantry, rapid and dazzling movements, ballets that are all sparkle and glitter, and stage groupings that fascinate the attention  by their rapid and kaleidoscopic changes.

Scenic designer George Gordon would wait in the wings and walk onto the stage to take a bow after setting reveals and transformation scenes during the thunderous applause which erupted throughout the auditorium. Audiences had  never seen anything of this scale before!

The crowded auditorium of the Princess' Theatre, Melbourne (1896)

The Costumes. 

The exhibition at Beleura in Mornington of twenty-four original 1895 watercolour costume designs were the creation of Will R. Barnes.

Born in 1851 in Geelong, Victoria, Will Barnes was a cartoonist, illustrator and watercolour painter. His father, William Barnes senior, was an illustrator for the Melbourne magazine, Punch from 1855-1869. 

Barnes heard that J.C. Williamson was looking for a costume designer for an upcoming, lavish production and decided to give costume designing a shot so he took some of his work to the JCW offices and was given the job of creating hundreds of costume designs on the spot, with no theatre design experience. His costumes received rave reviews from critics and audience members alike. 

His talents would be used by Williamson's again in the 1896 equally extravagant pantomime Matsa, Queen of Fire and Tapu in 1897.

In 1898, Barnes went to New York to try his luck where he worked until 1924, designing thousands of costumes for over fifty productions including those at the 5,500 seat Hippodrome Theatre. He would also design lavish costumes for Barnum and Bailey. At one point there were twelve productions playing on Broadway at the one time featuring his costume designs. Will R. Barnes died in America in 1939 aged eighty-eight. The watercolour designs in our exhibition show his versatility and imagination, particularly seeing this was the first stage production he worked on.  

Will Barnes

Emily Nathan

Special mention must go to Emily Nathan who worked in the wardrobe department for Williamson's for fifty-five years.

She would have worked very closely alongside Will Barnes, who had no costume designing or dress-making experience at the time of Djin-Djin, guiding him in the right direction and making adjustments to his designs to make them work for the stage.

Miss Nathan was born in Hobart on December 14, 1858 and began working for Williamson-Garner-Musgrove in 1881. Her first job as a costume maker was in 1882. She was quickly promoted to Wardrobe Mistress and worked on costumes for two generations of leading ladies. Dame Nellie Melba had many costumes made by Emily and the legendary Nellie Stewart referred to her as "The Mistress of the Robes". So trusted was she by Williamson management that she would often spend hundreds of pounds on fabrics at a time, sometimes buying several hundreds of yards in one shopping trip. She had a team of fifteen to thirty workers under her supervision but always preferred to do her leading lady's costumes herself, doing all of the intricate beading and sequinning and sewing of thousands of tiny pearls by hand, working from 7am until 3am the next day so she could see the costumes in both daylight and at night under stage lighting. 

She would also reproduce designs by the famous costume designers Monsieur and Madame Alias of London for productions which came to Australia. She also made costumes for the first Australian productions of Florodora,The Bing Boys Are Here, the lavish spectacle Australis, Gilbert and Sullivan comic operas and Havana in 1909, one newspaper writing how she cut one hundred and sixty Spanish style dresses as well as all of the principal's costumes.

Emily Nathan died aged eighty-nine in 1948 in Bondi where she shared a house with three of her unmarried sisters, the house full of Victoriana. Her contribution to the costumes for Djin-Djin would have been enormous. 

The Creatives.  

The Musical Score. 

The score for Djin-Djin was in the capable hands of Frenchman Leon Caron. Born in France on January 13, 1859, he was one of three candidates for the prestigious Grand Prix de Rome prize in 1870. After working successfully as a Musical Director in London and America, he made his way to Australia where he got a job as violinist at the Melbourne Opera House and then became Musical Director for the William Lyster Grand Italian Opera Company. After a short time there he worked for George Coppin's company, composing the music for the production Babes In The Woods.

He became Musical Director for the Williamson-Garner-Musgove organization in 1887 and wrote the music for Djin-Djin in 1895 and followed it with the score to Matsa, Queen of Fire the following year. In 1900 he would conduct the production which opened the newly renovated Her Majesty's Theatre in Melbourne, H.M.S. Pinafore. His last production under the Williamson banner was in 1903 with The Country Girl.

During his lifetime he would compose ballets, music for stage Tableaux, which were very popular at the time, and special songs which were interpolated into existing shows.

Special mention must be given to the production Australis; Or The City of Zero : A Spectacle of a Hundred Years, which opened on December 26, 1900 at Her Majesty's Theatre in Sydney. It was a fantasy set in the year 2000 after the war of the worlds which left Australia as the only country which remained, run badly by an ex-Trade Union leader!

Caron was also commissioned to write a special Cantata titled, Victoria, Victoria for the grand opening of the newly built Exhibition Building in Melbourne in 1880, the orchestra and choir numbering over 1,000.  

Caron, who was highly regarded as a conductor, arranger and composer of orchestral and choral works, died on May 29, 1905 following a series of heart attacks, aged fifty-five.

Rising young musician George F. Pack contributed to the score with some of the lighter songs. 

Leon Caron and George Pack

Bert Royale

The lyrics for the songs in Djin-Djin were written by Bert Royle, who also co-wrote the script with J. C. Williamson. Arriving from England in 1888, he got work with the Williamson-Garner-Musgrove organisation the following year as an actor and singer, appearing in a number of Gilbert and Sullivan comic operas and other musical presentations. A gifted writer he was soon collaborating with Leon Caron on pantomimes such as Ali Baba,Red Riding Hood and The House that Jack Built. 

He began working as JCW's literary secretary in 1895 and moved to New Zealand in 1898 where he acted as Williamson's and Musgrove's representative.  He managed the JCW business in New Zealand from 1901 until his death in 1929.

The Scenic Designers.

Three of the top scenic designers in Australia set to work on Djin-Djin creating a total of ten transformation scenes and scenic effects, such as the earthquake where "the great dragon topples over bodily, and then pile upon pile the massive pillars fall from their foundation. The manner in which the ruins pile up is extraordinary. There, in the foreground, lie the broken columns, and back of all is the open country lit up with the red light from the volcano in the distance with its flowing lava." Other scenes were described, "Never before have the eyes of theatre-goers been privileged to gaze on such a feast of color. The variations are infinite. Now it is a landscape scene in tender graduations of peacock blues and subdued reds; now we have a carnival, all Chinese lanterns and soft moonlight."

Djin-Djin discovered within "The Ruined Temple of Gompachi" (scenery by George Gordon)

George Gordon was the main designer of Djin-Djin with each setting reveal receiving rapturous applause. So much so that he would come onto the stage to take a bow following many scenes.  He was also responsible for the newly built Princess' Theatre and painted the first drop curtains in 1886. He worked on productions such as The Pirates of Penzance, Iolanthe, Patience, The Mikado, The Sorcerer and The Geisha. 

George Gordon

Phil Goatcher

Walter Spong

Phil Goatcher was the highest paid scenic designer and painter in the world when Williamson brought him to Australia in 1892. Principal painter for the D'Oyly Carte Company and Covent Garden and The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, his reputation was world-wide. A master at perspective and illusion, he also designed and painted the interiors of theatres, The Block Arcade in Melbourne, as well as productions such as Trilby, Aladdin,The Chocolate Soldier and The Gondoliers.

He was commissioned to paint the front curtain at the Boulder Town Hall in Western Australia in 1908. Found discarded and damaged by vandals, water and dust, $250,000 was spent to fully restore it in 1991 over six months.  Because of its historic importance, it is now considered to be priceless and is thought to be the last surviving curtain of its kind in the world. His scenery for "The Hall of a Thousand Storks" in Djin-Djin was considered to be a masterpiece in perspective. The last production he designed and painted for Williamson's was The Merry Widow in 1917.  Goatcher died in Perth in 1931.

"The Hall of a Thousand Storks" (scenery by Phil Goatcher)

Walter Spong was responsible for "The Golden Ballet Finale". One critic wrote of this setting, "Here Mr. Spong has given us a setting of unrivaled magnificence, and here too, the management have provided that wonderful electric curtain which just gives the gorgeous spectacle its necessary background of glowing fire. Everything is suffused with a deep golden glow."

"Palace Gardens of the Daimio Hojo No Kami" (scenery by George Gordon)

"... Mr. George Gordon never before painted such a magnificent landscape in his life as the palace gardens of the Daimio", enthused the critic for Table Talk in the edition for Friday, 3 January 1896.

"... the temple and the Damio's palace present the most characteristic styles of Japanese architecture." - On and Off the Stage, Table Talk, Friday, 27 December 1895

"Courtyard of Daimio's Palace" (scenery by George Gordon)

George Gordon and staff at work at the paint-frames in the Princess' Theatre

Tap here to view a detailed Synopsis of Scenery and Events for Djin-Djin.

Dance Arrangements.

Madame Rosalie Phillipini was responsible for the dance arrangements and tableaux for the production. Brought to Australia by J. C. Williamson in 1893, she was appointed Directress of the Royal Ballerinas, a troupe of permanent dancers with the Williamson company. She created the dances for both Djin-Djin in 1895 and for Matsa, Queen of Fire the following year. She also created new full-length ballets, the most notable being Turquoisette: A Study in Blue. Madame Phillipini ran a dancing school at The Princess' Theatre, two of her star pupils being Jennie Brenan, who herself would go on to be one of JCW's choreographers, and Mary Weir, the featured dancer who would become the second Mrs. J.C. Williamson and the mother of his two daughters. 

 Madame Rosalie Phillipini

The juvenile performers of the Fan ballet  The Princes of All NationsMillie Young as 'Prince Polenta' on the far right, with his attendant 'Diminuendo'

Tap here to view the credits for the Production personnel for Djin-Djin.

The Cast of Djin Djin. 

Many notable performers were employed by the Williamson-Musgrove company for their 1895 extravaganza. Some of the better known names of today were:

Florence Young, sister-in-law to Sir George Tallis, owner of Beleura, and principal soprano of Williamson and Musgrove's Royal Comic Opera Company, played the role of Prince Eucalyptus.

Millie Young, Florence's sister and wife of Sir George Tallis. Millie played Prince Polenta. 

Edward Farley played the title role of the Djin-Djin, complete with a somewhat startling costume!! 

Englishman, William Elton, who had been principal comedian in the Royal Comic Opera Company between 1887- 1891 (with which he had created the roles of King Gama in Princess Ida, Jack Point in The Yeomen of the Guard and the Duke of Plaza-Toro in The Gondoliers in the Australian premiere productions, amongst many others), played the comic role of Tom Wallaby.

Flora Graupner, another stalwart of the Royal Comic Opera Company, played the role of Princess Iris. 

English comedian and dancer, John Coleman played the 'Dame' role of Okiama, the Daimio's elderly maiden sister.  (Coleman had been playing in variety under engagement to Harry Rickards, who released him to play the role in the pantomime for Williamson and Musgrove). 

Carrie Moore made her professional stage debut at the age of 13 as Prince Omi (who first appeared in Act II in the guise of a baboon, as the result of an enchanted spell).  She and Ivy Scott (as Princess Cheekee), popularised the interpolated duet "I Don't Want to Play in Your Yard" by H.W. Petrie and Philip Wingate.

The role of Dede, a dancing role, was originally played by Marietta Nash in Melbourne but for the Sydney season, the role was played by Mary Weir. Miss Weir would go on to become the second Mrs. J. C. Williamson and was the mother of his two daughters. 

Two popular family troupes were employed for the production, the Flying Banvards and The Ridgeway Family, both families of parents, teenaged and young children. Professor Smith's Wonderful Bicycle Act was also a feature! 

Tap here to view the principal cast list of Djin-Djin.

Florence Young as 'Prince Eucalyptus' 

The Flying Banvards

The Ridgeways

John Coleman in the 'Dame' role

Okiama (John Coleman) sings the comical song "Airy Fairy" accompanied by the courtiers strumming their Shamisens

Prince Eucalyptus (Florence Young) kneels before the enthroned Princess Iris (Flora Graupner) to pledge his love (at left), while the other foreign Princes and courtiers look on.

Tap here to read Bert Royale and J.C. Williamson's script for Djin-Djin (transcribed as a Word-Document).

Lady Viola Tait's Dream and the Exhibition at Beleura House and Garden in Mornington. 

At the conclusion of the mighty J. C. Williamson Theatre empire in 1976, the subsequent selling off of its theatres, workshops and archives was divided or discarded. Scenery and costumes were either sold off in sales or put into hire through various hiring companies; notes, receipts, photographs, and other memorabilia were tossed out by the ton. A lot was acquired by various State institutions such as the newly formed Performing Arts Museum at the Victorian Arts Centre, The State Library of Victoria, State Library of New South Wales and other Government bodies. A lot, however, was simply discarded. Word got out and theatre lovers swamped Her Majesty's Theatre in Melbourne during the throw out and a lot of treasures were saved. Lady Viola Tait, widow of the late Sir Frank Tait who was one of the J. C. Williamson General Managers and the fifth brother of the mighty theatrical Tait brothers, was one of the many people who hastily went to The Maj to rescue as much as she could. Among the many, many items, thousands of items in fact, which became The Tait Collection, were the twenty-four costume designs from the 1895 Pantomime, Djin-Djin which Beleura House and Garden is pleased to present as their first exhibition for 2026.

Will Barnes' design for Prince Eucalyptus's dress costume

Design for The Shogun 

It was Lady Tait's dream to mount an exhibition of these original watercolour costume designs, by Australian artist Will R. Barnes, as part of the 1996 Spoleto Melbourne Festival of Arts. She gathered a small team of notable people to assist with the project, including the Victorian Premier at the time, The Honourable Jeff Kennett, the Artistic Director of the Melbourne International Festival, Leo Schofield, the Artistic Director of The Adelaide Festival, Barrie Kosky, Mrs. Cecily Storey, wife of the Victorian Minister for the Arts, and the Consul General of Japan. 

Letters were sent out to all of the heads of businesses with Japanese connections, Japanese cars and other high profile products, in the hope that the Australian-Japanese theme of the production and exhibition would encourage them to donate towards the costs. Sadly the exhibition, which included plans for four foot cut out copies of the original costume designs to go alongside the watercolours, and an audio-visual presentation aimed at children on the history of Pantomime, never came to fruition.

Work had commenced with contributions from well known Melbourne scenic designer Paul Kathner and film-maker Paul Cox. David Marriner of Marriner Theatres had agreed to give one of the function rooms at the newly re-opened, and lavishly restored, Regent Theatre for the exhibition and its launch. But without proper funding, the project was abandoned, much to Lady Tait's heartache. 

Design for the "Golden Gate" Chrysanthemum Ballet costume

Design for Tom Wallaby's dress costume 

Jump forward twenty-nine years!  Over lunch with Lady Tait and Sir Frank Tait's daughters Isla and Sally, Isla happened to mention she had twenty-four original costume designs from the pantomime, Djin-Djin, and wanted to donate them to someone worthwhile but didn't know who. Beleura instantly came to my mind and within seconds my brain went into overdrive at the thought of bringing Lady Tait's dream to fruition. Perhaps a song written by the show's composer Leon Caron would be possible at the launch! A recreation of one of the costumes as a show-piece! And, of course, a photo of Lady Tait with text explaining her dream for her own exhibition back in 1996. A discussion with Martin Green, General Manager at Beleura, was highly successful and plans were underway for the exhibition. 

A meeting with Isla and Sally and Tait Memorial Trust member Diana Murray at Beleura was very successful and we all became hopelessly excited about plans for what would be an exhibition of the one hundred and thirty year old designs exactly thirty years after Lady Tait's vision! 

Lady Viola Tait

The Costume Reconstructions. 

Initially I thought one costume would be a good addition to the exhibition so guests to Beleura could get an idea of how the design might have ended up. After starting the first one I thought, perhaps a female costume to accompany the male one would be a nice touch. Two would look much better than one, after all. Having almost finished the first reconstruction I visualised the exhibition space one day and realised... THREE would actually work even better! Three seems to be better than two!! 

Now, I am NOT a sewer by any means. I've done a lot of restoration work on historic JCW costumes in my collection of twenty-four from the productions of My Fair Lady,No No Nanette,Irene,Camelot and Gypsy, but I've never made one from scratch! How hard could it be though? Start at the beginning and work up.  The interesting part about working directly from the watercolours of Mr. Barnes was, he was not a costume designer or tailor at the time. At that point he had no knowledge of how to constuct costumes and what was possible and what was not possible. He was given the job and he certainly produced incredible designs, but there were problems. Problems which would have been solved with some design alterations, by the JCW Head Wardrobe Mistress, Emily Nathan. 

Will Barnes' design for Djin-Djin 

Edward Farley poses in the finished costume

Sadly, I've only been able to find three of the Barnes’ costume designs in our exhibition in photographic form, as worn in the original production: that of the eponymous bogie-man, together with one of the Princess Iris costumes worn by Flora Graupner, and one of the Chrysanthemum Ballet designs. The design for the latter we have has "Golden Gate" written on the back, specifying it as the yellow variety of the flower. The photo of the assembled ballet dancers in the Chrysanthemum costumes shows there were sixteen dancers in this number and there seem to be five or six variations on the design as well as five or six different colours depending on the variety of the chrysanthemum. It's interesting to note that while most of Barnes' design ideas in the watercolour painting remain, some details have been slightly altered to make the sewing work better on the dancer's bodies OR to simply make them more practical to construct. One of the problems I was faced with was, what was the back of the costume like? How did the left-hand side of the costume connect to the right-hand side at the back?

Design for Princess Iris 

Flora Graupner as 'Princess Iris'

Other problems for me were finding the right fabrics, sometimes having to paint fabric in order to make it match a colour from the original watercolour; working from a design and getting my recreation as close to the watercolour design as I could. There was also every possibility that Emily Nathan had changed something that I was having difficulty with, from Barnes' design, that wasn't practical to make OR was historically incorrect, such as parts of the Shogun's Japanese collar.

Also my inability to machine sew was a problem. I did a lot by hand but for some of the construction I needed help. Thanks to my friend, Cheryl Martin AND her trusty sewing-machine for coming to the rescue with the construction of the main body of The Chrysanthemum Ballet dress and the blue jacket for the Tom Wallaby costume. Once I'd cut the pattern and Cheryl worked her magic from that, by referring to the original design, things were underway. There were also countless discussions about how the costumes might have been originally constructed and what alterations Emily Nathan would have made for practicality and appearance on the stage.

The Chrysanthemum Ballet troupe

My aim was to really honour the original watercolour designs of Will R. Barnes and to bring his work to life with the three recreations, but to also honour the work done by JCW Wardrobe Mistress, Emily Nathan and to add some of the subtle changes she made to his designs, such as dropping the back of the skirt section on the Chrysanthemen Ballet costume, without taking away from Barnes' designs. I like to feel both artists would be pleased with what I've done and would be absolutely thrilled to know their work is being displayed again for the public at Beleura House and Garden. 

My sincerest thanks to Isla Baring for trusting my decisions regarding the twenty-four designs and for the chance to bring her mother, Lady Viola Tait's, dream to reality. To Martin Green, Managing Director at Beleura, Lyn Johnson, temporary Archivist, for her initial help putting the exhibition together, and Beleura's new Archivist, Giselle Banks, for her enthusiasm and patience with my notes, emails and ideas, along with all of the staff at Beleura, for their absolute excitement and faith in the exhibition. What a great honour and adventure this has been, from the first casual discussion with Isla about what to do with the designs, to putting the scissors through the first piece of fabric for the recreations and now, bringing it all to guests at Beleura. 

I hope they enjoy Djin-Djin, The Japanese Bogie-man and its extraordinary story, from its conception to its production and now, to its 2026 presentation. Hopefully I'll see you there as well.

Kevin Coxhead. 

"My thanks to Rob Morrison for his additional information and assistance with the photograph and image resolution." 

For information about the exhibition at Beleura House and Garden in Mornington, phone 5975 2027 Tuesday - Friday 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. 

 Beleura House & Garden, Mornington

Picture Sources

J.C. Williamson portrait, programme cover, cast, ballet and scenic photos from Souvenir of Djin-Djin digitised by the National Library of Australia, Canberra

Djin-Djin souvenir booklet - cover artwork by Will R. Barnes, also including Synopsis of Scenery and Events, Production personnel, cast list and script - State Library Victoria, Melbourne

The Princess' Theatre in 1893, two years prior to the production of Djin-Djin - State Library Victoria, Melbourne

George Musgrove, Co-Producer - Tait Collection

John Wallace portrait - Photograph album of Australian actors and actresses, ca. 1870 - ca. 1900, compiled by Gordon Ireland - State Library Victoria, Melbourne

Will Barnes at work - Melbourne Punch, 25 January 1900, p.4 

Emily Nathan - Rob Morrison collection

Leon Caron with George Pack, Associate Composer - Tait Collection

Bert Royle, Co-Writer and Lyricist - Tait Collection

George Gordon - The Australasian (Melbourne), 17 June 1899

Phil Goatcher - Falk Studios, 1896, State Library of New South Wales, Sydney

Walter Spong - Tait Collection

Courtyard of Daimio's Palace (scenery by George Gordon) - JCW Scene Book 3 - Theatre Heritage Australia

George Gordon and assistants at work in the old Princess' Theatre scenic paint-frame - photo by LUK - The Leader (Melbourne), 2 January 1897, p.7 

Madame Rosalie Phillipini, Dance Arranger - Rob Morrison collection

Scenic photos taken on stage during the Sydney season of Djin-Djin at the Lyceum Theatre by A.J. Perier (c.March 1896) - State Library of New South Wales, Sydney

Will R. Barnes' watercolour costume designs - Tait Collection

Lady Viola Tait - photo by Angus Forbes

All other photos and illustrations from the author's collection

Australian actress & vocalist. Born 20 July 1882, Geelong, VIC, Australia. Daughter of Robert William Moore and Mary Wyatt. Sister of Ivy Moore (actress). Married (1) Percy Plantagenet Bigwood, (2) John Wyatt. Died 5 September 1956, Sydney, NSW, Australia.

On stage from the age of thirteen; enjoyed success in Australia and England performing in musical comedy, pantomime and vaudeville.

Riley/Hailes Scrapbook, page 171.